Local Student Facing Felony After Allegedly Threatening School Shooting

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Local Student Facing Felony After Allegedly Threatening School Shooting

GENTRY (KFSM) — A high school student is facing a felony charge after allegedly threatening violence on Gentry High School students.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested Monday (March 5) on a warrant for first-degree terroristic threatening after Gentry students reported hearing rumors Feb. 22 of a possible threat at the high school, according to police.

Students reported hearing that a school shooting would happen during the ‘Macho Volleyball Game’ Friday, Feb. 23. Students reported hearing the suspect say, “If it came down to it, I would probably be the one to shoot-up the school… I have plenty of guns… if I could hate, I would shoot the place (school)”, according to police.

Several students told police they witnessed the suspect getting picked on by other kids, an affidavit states.

Police stated in an affidavit that the suspect denied threatening to shoot others at the school and that his mother told them he has no guns that she knows about. During a search of their home no guns were found, Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith said.

The student reportedly told police that other students walked past him and said taunting statements like, “there’s the school shooter”, but didn’t provide police with names to support his claims, according to the affidavit.

“The Gentry Police Department takes the safety of our schools, students, and faculty very seriously, and pledges to investigate every threat, and prosecute those responsible to the fullest,” Smith said.

Editor Note: An initial story reported there were guns found inside the suspect’s residence, as that is stated in an affidavit, however Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith said there was a “typo” in the affidavit and should have “not” added to that particular statement. After stating the affidavit is wrong, Smith clarified no guns were found inside the residence.